Selecting search results for responding to search query

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016307281-A1
Application number	US-201514685681-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for processing search results. Search results are retrieved from a database of travel itineraries based on search criteria provided by a traveler, and a set of recommended travel itineraries selected from the search results based on a probabilistic profile comprising a plurality of value profiles. A set of near-optimal travel itineraries is defined for each of the value profiles. A probability is determined for each travel itinerary of the search results based on a sum of weights of each value profile including the travel itinerary in the corresponding set of near-optimal travel itineraries, and travel itineraries added to the set of recommended travel itineraries based on the probabilities. An online search may be performed to enrich the set of recommended travel itineraries depending on a distance between the probabilistic profile of the traveler and a probabilistic profile used to populate the cache.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for processing a first set of travel itineraries in a database to define a second set of recommended travel itineraries for a traveler, the apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing data comprising program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the apparatus to: for each value profile of a plurality of value profiles, determine an adjusted value of each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries using the value profile; for each value profile, define a first set of near-optimal travel itineraries from the first set of travel itineraries based on the adjusted value of each travel itinerary; for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries, sum a weight of each value profile that includes the travel itinerary in the first set of near-optimal travel itineraries of the value profile to generate a first sum; compare the first sums to determine the first sum having a highest value; and add the travel itinerary having the first sum with the highest value to the second set of travel itineraries.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
reduce the weight of each value profile that contributed to the first sum with the highest value;
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries that has not been added to the second set of travel itineraries, sum the weight of each value profile that includes the travel itinerary in the first set of near-optimal travel itineraries of the value profile to generate a second sum;
compare the second sums to determine the second sum with the highest value; and
add the travel itinerary having the second sum with the highest value to the second set of travel itineraries.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein reducing the weight of each value profile comprises setting the weight to zero.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein defining the first set of near-optimal travel itineraries comprises, for each value profile:
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries, determining a convenience value of the travel itinerary using the value profile;
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries, determining a monetary value of the travel itinerary;
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries, adding the convenience value and the monetary value to determine the adjusted value of the travel itinerary;
identifying the travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries having a lowest adjusted value as an optimal travel itinerary; and
selecting the optimal travel itinerary and each travel itinerary having the adjusted value within a first predetermined amount of the adjusted value of the optimal travel itinerary for inclusion in the first set of near-optimal travel itineraries.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
for each value profile, define a second set of near-optimal travel itineraries to include the optimal travel itinerary and each travel itinerary having the adjusted value within a second predetermined amount of the adjusted value of the optimal travel itinerary, wherein the second predetermined amount is higher than the first predetermined amount.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries that has not been added to the second set of travel itineraries, sum the weight of each value profile that includes the travel itinerary in the second set of near-optimal travel itineraries to generate a second sum;
compare the second sums to determine the second sum with the highest value; and
add the travel itinerary having the second sum with the highest value to the second set of travel itineraries.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
for each value profile, determine a number of travel itineraries in the second set of near-optimal travel itineraries that are included in the second set of travel itineraries;
for each value profile wherein the number of travel itineraries exceeds a threshold, reduce the weight of the value profile;
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries that has not been added to the second set of travel itineraries, sum the weight of each value profile that includes the travel itinerary in the second set of near-optimal travel itineraries of the value profile to generate a second sum;
compare the second sums to determine the second sum with the highest value; and
add the travel itinerary having the second sum with the highest value to the second set of travel itineraries.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the plurality of value profiles comprises a probabilistic profile, and the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
determine whether the probabilistic profile is exhaustive or non-exhaustive, wherein the second set of near-optimal travel itineraries is defined in response to a determination that the probabilistic profile is non-exhaustive.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the travel itineraries in the first set of travel itineraries comprise first search results based on a first probabilistic profile, the traveler is associated with a second probabilistic profile, and the program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
determine a distance between the first probabilistic profile and the second probabilistic profile;
in response to the distance being greater than a threshold, launch an online search for additional travel itineraries based on the second probabilistic profile; and
enrich the first set of travel itineraries with at least a portion of the additional travel itineraries returned by the online search.

10 . A method of processing a first set of travel itineraries in a database to define a second set of recommended travel itineraries for a traveler, the method comprising:
for each value profile of a plurality of value profiles, determining, by a computer, an adjusted value of each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries using the value profile; for each value profile, defining, by the computer, a first set of near-optimal travel itineraries from the first set of travel itineraries based on the adjusted value of each travel itinerary; for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries, summing, by the computer, a weight of each value profile that includes the travel itinerary in the first set of near-optimal travel itineraries of the value profile to generate a first sum; comparing the first sums to determine the first sum with a highest value; and adding, by the computer, the travel itinerary having the first sum with the highest value to the second set of travel itineraries.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
reducing the weight of each value profile that contributed to the first sum with the highest value;
for each travel itinerary in the first set of travel itineraries that has not been added to the second set of travel itineraries, summing the weight of each value profile that includes the travel itinerary in the first set of near-optimal travel itineraries of the value profile to generate a second sum;
compare the second sums to determine the second sum with the highest value; and
adding the travel itinerary having the second sum with the highest value to the second set of travel itineraries.

12

Assignees

• Amadeus Sas

Inventors

• Canis Laure
• Zmerli Feten

Classifications

• G06Q10/025

  Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation · CPC title

• G06Q30/0631

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title

• G06Q50/14 Primary

  Travel agencies · CPC title